The present invention relates generally to Internet applications. In particular, the present invention relates to a system for tracking the use of a web tool.
Web servers with web tools are commonly made available to web users through the Internet. Web tools provide numerous variety of on-line services such as sales, auctions, information services, virtual forums, customer support, and expert assistance services. It is typically desirable for web tool providers to track web user""s use of their services from one session to another. Usage metrics such as time of use and specifically requested web page(s) are commonly tracked. In some systems, web tool providers offer numerous web tools (e.g., search engines, forums, help desks) within the same general web site such as with a customer support site. One or more actual servers may be used for providing one or more of these multiple web tools. In such cases, it is also desirable to track metrics (or usage parameters) such as web tool application type and particularly utilized server or servers.
Conventional tracking schemes have involved documenting usage parameters for a web tool within the actual web tool server that is providing the web tool. Unfortunately, with organizational systems that provide multiple web tools through numerous servers, this can be inefficient and difficult to carry out. User information must be separately extracted (and/or mined) from each server. Not only does this consume excessive resources, but it also makes it difficult to compare data from one web tool (or application) to another, as well as from one server to anotherxe2x80x94even when providing the same web tool.
Accordingly, it would be desirable to have an improved method and system for tracking the use of web tools, especially in systems that provide multiple web tools through multiple servers.
The present invention is directed to a web tool usage tracking method and system. One embodiment generally involves providing to a web user access to a web tool. In providing the web tool, one or more web page files, in connection with the user accessing the web tool, are transmitted to the web user. Within at least one of the web page files transmitted to the user, a command is inserted. The command has embedded user information that is associated with the web user""s use of the web tool. The command causes the web user computer to transmit to a server that is designated within the command a request including the embedded user information. The designated server stores the user information in a database in response to the request being processed by the designated server.
A system for implementing a tracking scheme of the present invention is also provided. In one embodiment, the system includes a web tool server and a designated server. The web tool server is operably connected (or at least adapted to be operably connected) to one or more web user computers. The web tool server has a web tool program for providing to each web user computer one or more web page files for a web tool session. The web tool server inserts within at least one of the one or more web page files, associated with the session, a command having embedded user information associated with a web user""s use of the web tool. The designated server is operably connected (or at least adapted to be operably connected) to the one or more web user computers. When a user computer executes the command, it transmits to the designated server a request that includes the embedded user information. The designated server then transfers the user information to a database in response to processing the request.
The foregoing has outlined rather broadly the features of the present invention in order that the detailed description of the invention that follows may be better understood. Additional features of the invention will be described hereinafter which form the subject of the claims of the invention. It should be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the conception and specific embodiment disclosed may be readily utilized as a basis for modifying or designing other structures for carrying out the same purposes of the present invention. It should also be realized by those skilled in the art that such equivalent constructions do not depart from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.